How your church or community can support a neighbor arrested by ICE

This page is for the people around a family, not the family itself. For the family's own steps, see When someone you love is detained by ICE. This is general information, not legal advice. Only a lawyer or a DOJ accredited representative can give legal advice about the case.

What does a family need most?

Usually, five things, in this order:

1. A lawyer, fast. Detained cases move quickly, and a lawyer can spot options a family would miss.
2. Proof for a bond hearing: letters, records and a sponsor.
3. Money: for bond, phone calls, commissary and rent.
4. Care for children and help at home.
5. People who show up: at court, at check ins, and at the door with dinner.

Your group can help with all five. But the family and the lawyer lead. Ask before you act.

What should our group do in the first 48 hours?

1. Pick one point person who talks with the family. One voice keeps things calm and private.
2. Ask what they need. Do not assume. Some families want meals and rides. Some want privacy.
3. Help find the person. Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator with the A number, or full name and country of birth. Results can lag by hours, and people under 18 do not appear (ICE locator brochure). See How to find a family member detained by ICE.
4. Call the rapid response line for your county. In Santa Clara County, the network offers accompaniment teams and legal observers (Sacred Heart Community Service).
5. Start the lawyer search with the family. Look for groups that take detained cases. See Free legal help in the Bay Area.
6. Check on the children that same day. Who picks them up from school? Who is staying with them tonight?
7. Keep it off social media until the family and lawyer agree. Names and photos can hurt the case or the family's safety.

How can we help find and pay for a lawyer?

• Make the calls together. Sit with the family and call nonprofit legal services from the DOJ pro bono list, which is sorted by immigration court, including detained courts.
• Collect the documents the lawyer will ask for: ID, A number, any court papers, proof of years in the U.S., birth certificates of U.S. citizen children, medical records. See What to bring to your first meeting with an immigration lawyer.
• Raise money for fees if a private lawyer is needed. Check the lawyer's license on the State Bar of California search first.
• Watch for scams. No one can "guarantee" a release. Never pay someone who is not a licensed lawyer or a known nonprofit. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

Can our neighbor get bond?

Maybe. Since September 2025, many people who entered without inspection have been held without bond. The Ninth Circuit, which covers California, ruled on July 30, 2026 that many people arrested inside the country can get a bond hearing, and the Supreme Court agreed on October 1, 2026 to decide the question (No. 26-104) (docket). The lawyer will know what applies. See How to get someone out of immigration detention on bond.

How do we write support letters for a bond hearing?

At a bond hearing, the judge looks at whether the person is a danger to others and whether they will come back to court (EOIR Policy Manual 9.3). Letters from your community speak to both.

Who should write: a pastor or faith leader, an employer, teachers of the person's children, neighbors, coworkers, and the person who will house them if released.

What each letter should include (NIJC bond guide, practical tips):

• The writer's full name, address, phone, and status if they are a U.S. citizen or green card holder, with a copy of ID if the lawyer asks
• How the writer knows the person, and for how long
• Real examples: shows up every Sunday, coaches the soccer team, cares for an aging parent
• A support plan: a place to live, a ride to court, a job offer
• A signature and date

Send letters to the lawyer, not the court. The lawyer decides what to file. Bond papers must be filed again for each hearing (EOIR Policy Manual 9.3), so keep originals.

Be honest. Never exaggerate or include anything you cannot back up. A false letter can hurt the case and the writer.

How can we help raise and post a bond?

• Pool money. A congregation or group can collect funds for the family. Keep clear records of who gave what.
• Who can post it: U.S. citizens, permanent residents, law firms and nonprofits can post an immigration delivery bond (ICE bonds). The person who posts it (the obligor) must give a taxpayer ID and keep ICE updated with their address (Form I-352). If your church or nonprofit wants to be the obligor, have the family's lawyer and your organization's own lawyer or board review the bond form before anyone signs.
• How it is paid: ICE takes full payment online through its CeBONDS system by bank transfer, on weekdays during set hours (ICE bonds).
• Getting it back: when the case ends and the person has attended, ICE refunds the money with interest to the obligor at the address on file. If the person misses a required appearance, the bond can be forfeited (ICE bonds).
• Bond funds: Freedom for Immigrants' National Detention Bond Fund helps people granted bond by ICE or a judge in California or Louisiana, with priority for some, such as primary caretakers or people with strong community ties (Freedom for Immigrants). The page does not say whether it is open now; ask. In San Mateo County, the rapid response line can tell you about mutual aid.

What about asking ICE to release them?

ICE can choose to release someone or not pursue a case. This is called prosecutorial discretion. Requests go to ICE's local lawyers' office, with no fee (ICE OPLA). In 2026 these requests are a long shot, so let the lawyer decide whether and when to send one. Your group can help by gathering letters, records of community ties and proof of hardship to children or sick family members.

Public campaigns (petitions, vigils, press) can help some people and hurt others. Only start one if the detained person, the family and the lawyer all agree. See What to know before you share your immigration story in public.

How can we support the family at home?

• Children: make sure each child has a safe adult. A caregiver can use California's Caregiver's Authorization Affidavit for school and medical care. See Who can care for my children if I am detained and Helping your children cope.
• Rent and bills: help apply for emergency aid. See Emergency money help when a family member is detained.
• Meals and rides: use a simple signup with first names only.
• The job: if the person worked, help the family ask for the final paycheck. See How to get your final paycheck.
• Mental health: fear and grief hit hard. See Mental health care without fear. If someone is thinking about suicide or is in emotional crisis, they can call or text 988 (988 Lifeline). If someone is in danger right now, call 911.

How can we stay in touch with the person inside?

• Money and calls: each center has its own rules. Golden State Annex takes deposits through CorrectPay, (855) 836-3364, and uses tablets for messages (ICE, Golden State Annex). Never mail cash. See How to visit, call or send money to someone in ICE detention.
• Visits: visitors need a government photo ID. Anyone without status should talk to a lawyer before visiting a detention center.
• Letters: short, warm, regular letters help people hold on. Include the full name and A number.

How can we show up at court and check ins?

• Court: cases from San Francisco moved to Concord Immigration Court, 1855 Gateway Blvd, Suite 850, Concord, on September 4, 2026 (EOIR). Check the date and place with 1-800-898-7180. Ask the lawyer first whether supporters should attend, and if so, sit quietly.
• Check ins: after release, many people must report to ICE or wear a monitor. A companion can drive, wait and call the family. See ICE check ins and ankle monitors.
• Accompaniment teams: in Santa Clara County, the rapid response network organizes them (Sacred Heart).

What mistakes should we avoid?

• Too many voices. Use one point person.
• Posting without consent. No names, faces or locations.
• Promising outcomes. Say "we will be with you," not "we will get him out."
• Giving legal advice. Volunteers may not. Refer every case question to the lawyer.
• Paying fixers. Only pay a licensed lawyer or a known nonprofit.
• Burning out. Rotate tasks. Cases can last months.

Questions groups ask

Can our church hold money for the family? Talk to your treasurer about how to keep it separate and documented. For tax rules on gifts, ask your accountant.

Can undocumented members help? Yes, with meals, childcare, prayer, rides and letters. Visiting a detention center or going to an ICE office is a decision to make with a lawyer first.

What if our neighbor is deported? Keep supporting the family. See When someone you love is detained by ICE.

How do we prepare before this happens again? Train with your county network. See How your church or group can start or join a rapid response network and How to teach your community their rights.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Anywhere in the United States: the DOJ List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers and Freedom for Immigrants (bond fund for California and Louisiana)
• Anywhere in California: your county's line on the CCIJ rapid response list (updated February 3, 2026)
• San Mateo County residents: rapid response (203) 666-4472, 24/7 (San Mateo County)
• Santa Clara County residents: rapid response (408) 290-1144, 24/7, with accompaniment teams (Sacred Heart)
• San Mateo and Santa Clara county residents: Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, 650-326-6440, including deportation defense (CLSEPA)

A family should never face this alone. Your presence is the help.

Is there a plan we can print?